Want a Windows Vista capable PC? Follow these three rules

Summary:Last week, Microsoft announced that it will begin allowing OEMs to slap a "Vista Capable" sticker on new PCs that meet minimum standards. You could try to figure out which hardware is best suited for Vista from the official guidelines. But you don't need a sticker to decide on a new PC, just some common sense. I've boiled it down to three simple rules.

Last week, Microsoft announced that it will begin allowing OEMs to slap a "Vista Capable" sticker on new PCs that meet minimum standards. This is nothing new, of course. Way back in June 2001, four months before the official launch of Windows XP, Microsoft tried to bolster hardware sales with its "Windows XP Ready PC" logo. Six years later, that list of minimum requirements is amusing, to say the least. Windows XP is still around, but how many of those 300MHz Celerons with Super VGA adapters and 128MB of RAM do you suppose are still in service?

If you're bound and determined to read the official guidelines, you'll find the consumer version here and the enterprise version here. But really, you don't need a sticker to decide on a new PC, just some common sense. Here are my guidelines:

Don't buy a cheap PC. Every online vendor and retail store has a loss-leader line whose sole function is to attract suckers bargain-seekers. Throw out the bottom 25% of any company's current product line and you'll eliminate just about every potential problem. (For notebooks, which can't be easily upgraded, throw out the bottom half of the line. The newer and more powerful, the better.)

Get enough RAM. A gig is good, 2 gigs is better. For a basic workstation, you could almost certainly get by with 512MB, but at current prices you can double that for about $40. Why be a cheapskate?

Insist on decent graphics. For desktops, make sure the graphics subsystem supports 1280 by 1024 resolution, 32-bit color, and DirectX 9. For notebooks, make sure the display supports DirectX 9 and does 32-bit color at the displays native resolution. Pay special attention to the chipset used in the graphics subsystem and make sure it is up to Vista's graphic demands. Nvidia, ATI, S3, and VIA have all published lists of supported GPUs. (Hint: If you follow rule 1, you'll avoid most of the bargain-basement graphics cards that are going to cause Vista headaches.)

Ironically, all of those rules apply just as well if you're about to buy a new PC to run Windows XP. If your budget - personal or corporate - is tight, then here's one final piece of advice: Wait. Early next year, a slew of cheap new PCs with Vista preinstalled will be available. Given the lousy holiday season that most PC makers are likely to have thanks to Microsoft's delay, they'll be offering screaming deals in January. You can bet on it.

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications. He has served as editor of the U.S. edition of PC Computing and managing editor of PC World; both publications had monthly paid circulation in excess of 1 million during his tenure. He is the a...
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Ed Bott is a freelance technical journalist and book author. All work that Ed does is on a contractual basis.Since 1994, Ed has written more than 25 books about Microsoft Windows and Office. Along with various co-authors, Ed is completely responsible for the content of the books he writes. As a key part of his contractual relationship with publishers, he gives them permission to print and distribute the content he writes and to pay him a royalty based on the actual sales of those books. Ed's books have been distributed under several imprints: Que Publishing (a division of Pearson Education); Microsoft Press (with production and distribution by O'Reilly), and Fair Trade Digital Exchange, where he was briefly a partner. On occasion, Ed accepts consulting assignments. In recent years, he has worked as an expert witness in cases where his experience and knowledge of Microsoft and Microsoft Windows have been useful. In each such case, his compensation is on an hourly basis, and he is hired as a witness, not an advocate. Ed sometimes receive fees and/or travel expenses for live speeches and webinars from companies and organizations. Acceptance of these fees does not constitute an endorsement of the company's products. Ed does not own stock or have any other financial interest in Microsoft or any other software company. He owns 500 shares of stock in EMC Corporation, which was purchased before the company's acquisition of VMware. In addition, he owns 350 shares of stock in Intel Corporation, purchased more than seven years ago. All stocks are held in retirement accounts for long-term growth. Ed does not accept gifts from companies he covers. All hardware products he writes about are purchased with his own funds or are review units covered under formal loan agreements and are returned after the review is complete.